Abstract
Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are particles smaller than 100 nanometers that are produced unintentionally during human activities or natural phenomena. They have a higher biological reactivity than bigger particles and can reach the placenta after maternal exposure. One study has shown an association between maternal occupational exposure to UFPs and fetal growth restriction. Yet few studies have focused on the effects of UFP exposure on placental histopathological lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal occupational exposure to UFPs and histopathological lesions of their placenta. The analyses were based on data from the ARTEMIS Center. A job-exposure matrix was used to assess occupational exposure to UFPs. The histopathological placental exam was performed by two pathologists who were blinded to the exposure of each subject. The examination was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Amsterdam consensus. The study sample included 130 placentas (30 exposed, 100 unexposed). Maternal occupational exposure to UFPs during pregnancy is significantly associated with placental hypoplasia (the phenomenon affected 61% of the exposed patients and 34% of the unexposed ones, p < 0.01). Further research is needed to explain its pathophysiological mechanisms.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilParticulate matter (PM) aerosols can be classified depending on their aerodynamic diameter [1]
Ultrafine particles (UFPs) when they are a byproduct of human activities or when they are produced during natural phenomena
As shown in the flow chart (Figure 1), of the 169 patients who consulted at the ARTEMIS Center for an obstetrical pathology or a fetal malformation, 114 of them had an assessment of the histopathologic lesions of their placenta and of their occupational exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs)
Summary
Particulate matter (PM) aerosols can be classified depending on their aerodynamic diameter [1]. MNPs and UFPs share similar characteristics [3]. Because of their small size, their physicochemical properties differ from the bigger particles that have an otherwise similar nature [4,5]. The proportion of surface atoms increases in relation to the atoms on the inside when the particle’s diameter decreases. This leads to an increase in the surface energy of these particles, which makes them more thermodynamically unstable. UFPs represent a small percentage of the particulate matter’s mass, but a big iations
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